A herd dog found deceased from a wolf depredation
By Paul Hall on Friday, October 8th, 2021 in Featured Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION COUNTY – (Information provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
October 5, 2021 – Union County (Balloon Tree area)
Date Investigated: 10/5/21
Cause of death/injury: Confirmed
General situation and animal information: On the morning of 10/5/21 an employee for a sheep producer found a deceased 40 lb. adult male herding dog on a private industrial timberland pasture. The dog was intact with no scavenging. Estimated time of death was the early morning of 10/5/21.
Physical evidence and summary of findings: The carcass was shaved and skinned. Pre-mortem bite wounds were found on the hindquarters, front shoulders, back, right flank, neck, and head. Associated canine punctures were approximately 1/4 inch in diameter and depth of hemorrhage/tissue trauma was up to 2 inches. The size of canine punctures, depth of pre-mortem trauma, and location of injuries are similar to other confirmed wolf attacks on working dogs. This depredation is attributed to the Balloon Tree Pack.
